Sybil Branson
Lady Sybil Cora BransonThis image - File:Grave.jpg - obtained from here (slide 3/11) - confirms Sybil's middle name is Cora. née Crawley (b. between August/September and December 1895This image of Sybil's grave - File:Grave.jpg - obtained from here (slide 3/110) confirms she is born in 1895; as her grave confirms she was born in 1895, and she died in August/September, she cannot be born any earlier - as that would make her too old - but cannot be born after December 1895 as that would make the year wrong.Downton Abbey: The Complete Scripts, Season One, by Julian Fellowes, states that Mary is 21 in 1912, that Edith is 20 and that Sybil is 17. — August or September 1920Sybbie was born - and Lady Sybil died - in August or September 1920; we can infer this from Robert's words of "Tennessee is going to ratify the 19th Amendment." in Episode 3.04. The ratification of the amendment happened on August 18th, 1920. This means that Episode 3.04 is set before August 18th when the Amendment was ratified. This also means, as the 2012 Christmas Special is set in September 1921, that Sybbie must have been born after the 18th of August - as that is after 3.04 and the ratification of the amendment - and on or before the 30th of September 1920 - which is a year before the events of the 2012 Christmas Special. As well as this, September is the end of the cricket season - which spans from May to September in the UK - and Cricket is played in Episode 3.08, thus it cannot be after 30th September, as that was the end of the cricket season in 1920.) was the youngest daughter of Robert and Cora Crawley, the Earl and Countess of Grantham, sister of Lady Mary and Lady Edith and an unnamed brother, wife of Tom Branson, mother of her only child and daughter Sybbie Branson, and sister-in-law of Matthew Crawley. Biography Early Life Lady Sybil was the youngest child of the aristocratic and wealthy Crawley family. She was the family rebel - a very politically conscious woman who considered the lives and feelings of the underprivileged. Her aristocratic heritage was less important to her than finding love and a place in the world - as the youngest daughter she would have inherited very little, anyway. When her parents made her choose between her life of privilege and her marriage to the family chauffeur Tom Branson, Lady Sybil chose love. She was tutored in French by a governess, although she had little regard for it. As she said: "No one ever learned anything from a governess except for French, and how to curtsey." Politics Unlike the rest of her conservative family, Lady Sybil was politically liberal and believed in civil rights, especially votes for women. During the war, like a lot of other suffragettes, Lady Sybil stopped fighting for the vote, out of respect for the men off at war. Tom Branson thought this was wrong, saying that Sylvia Pankhurst was all for fighting for these rights. Nurse Training After receiving notice of the death of Tom Bellasis, one of the young men she actually enjoyed conversation with and with whom she used to dance, Lady Sybil could no longer stand waiting around for the war to finish. After telling Isobel Crawley that she wanted to do real work instead of meaningless tasks, Isobel suggested Lady Sybil become a nurse. Before she left, Mrs. Crawley suggested that Lady Sybil should learn some basic skills, like cooking and how to make a bed. Lady Sybil asked Mrs. Patmore and Daisy for help. This seemed like a big task, as Lady Sybil couldn't even properly fill up a kettle. She left for training shortly after and Cora realised that this was something she needed to do. By 1917 (Episode 2.02) Lady Sybil was fully trained and felt useful for the first time in her life, saying that she could never go back to her life before the war. Marriage to Tom Branson Tom Branson and Sybil became a lot closer during the war, largely because of their political interests and when Tom was called up by the war office Sybil was worried and very relieved when he was rejected by the Army because of a heart murmur. In 1918 Sybil talked to Tom and asked him how he could be content being a chauffeur at Downton. He told her that he was staying because of her and tried to convince her to run away with him. She later told him that she couldn't give him an answer until the war was over (Episode 2.06). After the war Sybil accepted Tom's proposal and after initially planning to run away to Gretna Green to be married, Sybil decided to instead be open with her family. Tom became a journalist and Sybil invited him to dinner and told the family their plans. Robert and Violet were very much against the marriage with Robert going so far as to attempt to bribe Tom to leave. However, Tom and Sybil stuck to their plans to marry. Robert eventually agreed to part with Tom on friendly terms. (Episode 2.08) Sybil and Tom began their married life in Ireland, with Mary and Edith the only members of her family who attended the wedding. Sybil later sent her mother a letter about her pregnancy and Cora told Robert that she would not be kept away from her daughter and her grandchild. (2011 Christmas Special) Life after marriage Sybil and Branson returned to Downton Abbey in 1920 before Sybil's grandmother MarthaThis link http://www.entertainmentwise.com/news/78611/Downton-Abbey-Star-Praises-Amazing-Shirley-MacLaine shows that Allen Leech, who plays Branson, has at least one scene with Martha, confirming that Martha will meet Sybil and Branson, so t hey met her, and it is known this was before Sybil had given birth; however, it is unknown as to whether Martha approved of their marriage. Sybil planned to resume her nursing career once the baby was born. She had seemingly found her place in her married life with no regrets of marrying Tom, but back at Downton she felt a sense of safety, and longed for Tom to be accepted by the world she had always known. She confided in her sister, Lady Mary, all of this. Sybil and Tom both went to Eryholme for a picnic before Edith's wedding. Sybil encouraged her sister Edith before her wedding and tried to comfort her when Sir Anthony jilted her at the last minute. Edith shrugged off the comfort of Sybil and Mary, "Look at them!" She said to her mother, Cora. "Look at them. Sybil pregnant, Mary probably pregnant. Go away. I mean it, GO!" Tom Branson had been involved in the destruction of private property (a home like Downton Abbey was burned by Irish rebels) and had gone to meetings where they planned this. Because of his involvement, the police were looking for him and he had to flee Ireland to go to Downton Abbey. He left Sybil behind to close up their flat, but he took the last ferry so she could not come to Downton before the next morning. Robert was enraged at this, because he had left Sybil, a pregnant woman, alone in a land that was not her own. Tom felt a great deal of guilt over this. When she arrived safely the next morning, Tom was incredibly relieved and they passionately kissed in the Great Hall of Downton Abbey. Sybil found out that he went to those meetings and was hurt that he had kept it from her. Her father, Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham, was able to save him from going to prison but on the condition he could never go back to Ireland. Sybil was not entirely disappointed at this; she had missed her childhood home and knew it could offer them peace and safety until the baby was born. Before she was due to give birth, Mary went to see her, where they discussed the issue that her and Tom's child will be christened as a Catholic, and that the christening will have to take place at Downton. Mary told Sybil that she doesn't need to let the baby be baptized as Catholic as it is her child, too, though Sybil stated that she doesn't mind because she loves Tom so very much. Before leaving so she could rest, Mary replied that she will help her to fight over the christening when the time comes. This was the final significant conversation anyone had with Sybil. Birth of Miss Sybil Branson Sybil entered labour and began to show early symptoms of pre-eclampsia, which was correctly diagnosed by Dr Clarkson but ignored by Lord Grantham and Sir Philip Tapsell who believed that taking her to a public hospital would be far too much of a risk to Sybil and the baby. , and their newborn baby daughter, shortly before her death.]] Lady Sybil gave birth to a baby girl. Everybody was relieved and delighted at this outcome except Dr Clarkson who saw what was coming. Tom told Sybil how much he loved her and left together with the rest of the family to let her get some rest. Only Cora stayed back and Sybil made her promise to help take care of Tom and the baby because she suspected that Lord Grantham may want them out of the family. Cora reassured her that she would take on this responsibility and went to bed. Exhausted, Sybil tries to go to sleep in the knowledge that she has paved the way for her husband and baby to be accepted in the family with the backing of Mary and Cora. Death After delivering the child, Sybil began to experience a series of severe fits and spasms due to the pre-eclampsia, and was unable to breathe. Her mother and father, sisters Mary and Edith, and brother-in-law were present at her bedside while her husband held her as she died. Legacy and remembrance The entire household was shocked and upset when they received the news of Sybil's death, especially Thomas, who is not usually a sympathetic person. Mrs Hughes said, "The sweetest spirit under this roof is gone--and I'm weeping myself." The family and servants all showed considerable emotion in mourning. Cora sat alone to speak to Sybil's body, promising her that the family will look after Tom and her daughter. For some time she blamed her husband for Sybil's death because he chose to ignore the doctor who had known Sybil for her entire life. Tom chose to honour and painfully remember his wife by naming their daughter Sybil. A year later, Cora was still missing her daughter whilst saying that she could relate to Susan's problems with Rose, and Violet said that the whole family still missed her. Tom openly broke down in front of Mrs Hughes over his wife's death. Sybbie was healthy and one year old at the time. Relationships The Crawley Family Lady Sybil was the third and youngest daughter of Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham and Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham, and the youngest sister of Lady Mary Crawley and Lady Edith Crawley. She was also the granddaughter of Lady Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham. She came from an aristocratic, wealthy family, but she didn't care about her family's money and was very unlikey to inherit. She was interested in politics, especially and she believed in equal civil rights for everyone, especially votes for women. No one, except for Lady Edith regarding women's suffrage, in her conservative family shared her interest in politics. As the youngest daughter, finding Lady Sybil a suitable husband was not her parents' priority, until after her older sisters married. However, they were confident that Lady Sybil would eventually marry, unlike their feelings on the prospects of her older sister, Lady Edith. Early in series 1 Lady Sybil formed a strong relationship with the family chauffeur, Tom Branson, who was also very political. He subsequently fell in love with her. For the majority of series 2 she was undecided whether she loved him or not. Once the war was over, Lady Sybil finally let her heart have a say. Perhaps, too, she saw marriage to Tom Branson as her ticket out of her father's house and into the messy, exciting world that she admired. Lady Sybil decided to marry Tom Branson, despite her family's wishes. Lady Mary, Lady Edith and housemaid Anna track her down on her way to elope at Gretna Green and she returned to Downton with them. She and Tom Branson announced their relationship and plans to get married and move to Ireland, much to her family's shock and dismay. She swore to her family that she would not give Tom up. After threatening to disinherit her, Robert eventually gave them his blessing. Her grandmother and father planned to minimize the scandal of "the Lady and the Chauffeur" by giving Tom a made-up backstory. Lady Sybil and Tom moved to Dublin, Ireland, and later married. Only Lady Sybil's sisters attended the wedding, as her Mother was recovering from her illness, and her Father and Grandmother did not want to attend the wedding. Soon after their marriage, Lady Sybil wrote to her family that she was pregnant, much to Lady Grantham's delight and shock. In the letter, she asked her parents to keep the news a secret from her sisters. Lord Grantham then commented that he "wondered why she didn't ask to come for Christmas." After the Servant's Ball, Lady Grantham told Lord Grantham she had written back to Lady Sybil. Lady Grantham wanted the family to visit Lady Sybil and Tom in Ireland. She also wanted Lady Sybil and Tom to come to visit Downton, and she doesn't want to be separated from her first grandchild. Lady Grantham also admitted to Lord Grantham, that this wasn't the outcome that she wanted for Lady Sybil, but it is what has happened and the whole family must accept it. Lady Sybil returned to her family home with her husband. The family learned she had found her place in her married life, and she longed for Tom to be accepted by her family. Tom developed a close friendship with Lady Sybil's cousin and the family heir Matthew Crawley. Gwen Dawson Gwen’s dream is to become a secretary, she wants to come out of service and make a better life for herself. She’s breaking every rule - women didn’t want to have a profession and work in an office so she is part of the new wave of female independence coming through at that time. She is helped by Lady Sybil, who does all sorts of things that Robert would be appalled by to help Gwen get interviews and write letters. Sybil really compromises her position but they are a similar age and growing up in a time of great political change which has affected them both. Gwen’s determination to leave Downton is not just a whim. She has saved her wages in order to buy a typewriter, which she keeps hidden above her wardrobe. The desire to work in an office is very new and exciting to her and something that her friends back home probably haven’t even thought of doing yet. It isn’t all plain sailing for Gwen though and Lady Sybil but eventually they manage it and Gwen is offered a job from a man whose mother was a housemaid. Tom Branson Hired to be the Crawley family chauffeur, Tom Branson inspired Lady Sybil to get involved in political causes, and over time they developed a romantic relationship, later marrying despite the reservations of her family, and living in Dublin, Ireland where Tom gets a job as a journalist. By Christmas 1919, they were expecting their first child and in 1920 returned to Downton Abbey to visit the Crawley family and attend Mary's wedding. Months later, Tom unexpectedly arrived at Downton after fleeing Ireland without Sybil, leaving her to arrive the following day. Due to the trouble he was in, Tom had been forbidden from returning to Ireland, so he and his wife began living at Downton. Sybil later gave birth to their first and only child, a daughter, but dies shortly afterwards of eclampsia with Tom and her family at her side, leaving Tom, the Crawley family and their staff shocked and heartbroken. Tom named his daughter after his late wife, christening her Miss Sybil Branson. Quotes Behind the scenes *Jessica Brown-Findlay who plays Lady Sybil Branson made the decision not to renew her three-season contract with Downton Abbey, and Julian Fellowes decided to write Jessica's character out of the show. Appearances References Branson, Sybil Branson, Sybil Branson, Sybil Category:Branson family members Category:Levinson family members Category:Deceased Characters